A spokesman for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has emphasized the necessity of electoral reforms to make the recent financial autonomy granted to local governments (LGs) by the Supreme Court truly effective. Felix Morka highlighted that while financial autonomy represents a significant step forward, deeper issues remain regarding the independence and democratic legitimacy of local government administrations.
Morka explained that despite the Supreme Court’s decision to grant financial autonomy to the third tier of government, the current system still allows state governors considerable control over local governments. He pointed out that governors often “handpick” local government chairmen, undermining the autonomy and effectiveness of these administrations.
“In my understanding, the Supreme Court was right on the mark to give local governments access to funds meant for them. I don’t think this matter should engage the kind of controversy that I am seeing,” Morka stated during a press briefing on Tuesday. He argued that while the Supreme Court’s ruling addresses financial autonomy, it does not resolve the underlying issues related to the democratic process and governance at the local level.
Morka called for a comprehensive review of the entire system regulating local government elections. “I agree that the entire system for regulating how elections are conducted in the local governments has to be properly revisited by the state governors and federal authorities,” he said. He stressed the need for state and federal authorities to collaborate in creating a system that ensures elections are conducted with greater scrutiny, objectivity, and independence.
“They need to come together and figure out a way to create a system and to regulate the conduct of elections that blends itself to some level of scrutiny, objectivity, and independence as well because giving financial autonomy is one thing but if those who serve are handpicked by the same governors, then we are not yet there. We need to make some reforms to that electoral process,” Morka noted.
This discussion follows the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last Thursday, which granted financial autonomy to the third tier of government. The ruling mandates the Federal Government to pay the 20.60% monthly allocation directly to the exclusive accounts of the 774 local governments in Nigeria,
Bypassing accounts controlled by state governors. Additionally, the apex court’s judgment prohibits governors from dissolving democratically elected local government councils, aiming to curb the excessive influence of state executives over local administrations.
Morka’s comments underscore the APC’s recognition of the need for systemic reforms to enhance the democratic functioning of local governments. By ensuring that local government elections are conducted independently and transparently, the reforms aim to bolster the credibility and effectiveness of local governance.
The call for electoral reforms reflects a broader commitment to strengthening the foundations of democracy at all levels of government, ensuring that financial autonomy translates into genuine self-governance and improved service delivery for local communities.
